R.I.P. INFL

I was watching what I thought was the season finale of HBO's Inside the NFL when it was announced at the beginning of the epsidode that it was also the series finale of the long-running series.

Apparently, the decision to cancel the show came soon before the final taping on Wednesday, so that made things even worse because no one was really able to address it. HBO announced that the landscape of the NFL and media had changed too much in the past 30 years. Now everyone can get replays and highlights on a multitude of networks.

Too bad INFL's own network couldn't see the gem it had.

Talk about devastating. For thirty-one years, the show gave us an inside look into the NFL that no other show has come close to in class and integrity. I only watched the last three seasons, but I'll miss it as much any other show I had grown to love.


I've said before (numerous times) that I'm not into sports all that much, but HBO Sports has a way of drawing me in with the insight, humor, and drama their shows possess. Inside the NFL was even more impressive in that regards because it was, essentially, a weekly recap show. It gave high and lowlights of the previous week as well a brief look at the upcoming week's games. And once or twice an epsiode, we got a short look at some unique aspect of the game that could be either uplifting or heartbreaking, or both.

The hosts were a fun gang to watch every week. Dan Marino, Cris Collinsworth, Chris Carter, and Bob Costas were a perfect team. This season was especially wonderful. We got a real, honest, look at a great player who sees his greatest accomplishments get surpassed on an almost weekly basis when Brett Favre broke a number of Dan's records in 2007. While Marino never whined about it-- probably helped because he respects Favre-- you could see a little disappointment whenever the others ribbed him about being 2nd in the record books. Collisworth grew even more as an analyst, and I could see him getting his own show someday. Carter had a few moments, notably when he gave a very intelligent and emotional answer to a question Costas asked him about what can be done to help young players to keep out of trouble, and also, on the last episode when he had just learned he lost his only on-air job-- and was also deeply hurt he didn't get voted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 the previous weekend.

And then Costas, a guy who I'd listen to explain anything he had a passion for. Truly one of the greatest on-camera sports newsmen who have ever lived. And I love Costa's comment to Collinsworth in the finale that they didn't get fired; someone at HBO made a "boneheaded decision". I'm sure he hadn't forgotten that he also hosts the monthly Costas Now on HBO when he said it.

And we can't forget Peter King's weekly reports that really dug into the sport. Or Lewis Black's infrequent rants.

And, finally, the work of Ed Sabol and NFL films was exclusive to the show. These weren't just highlights, those were mini-movies of every game. If you took NFL Films and the outstanding voiceovers by Harry Kalas and applied them to grass growing, it'd be just as exciting as any movie. These people really elevate the craft of filming sports. That may be the biggest loss with INFL's cancellation.

But just because HBO cancelled the show doesn't mean it will disappear forever. The NFL is shopping it around (a few pissed off fans actually blame the NFL for pressuring HBO to cancel the show, so it could gain leverage for its NFL Network with cable companies). But because much of the show's production was through HBO, there are sure to be changes. I expect the newest version to be full of flashy graphics and loud hosts, something the HBO version definitely was not.

I said it earlier, and I'll repeat it: this show was classy. That's the major loss for fans of not only football, but of just, plain good television.